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Rhode Island Dog Bite Attorney
While others say justice for all, we say justice for you.
A dog attack leaves scars that are physical and, for children especially, lasting. Rhode Island's law is strongly on the victim's side when a dog attacks away from its owner's property, and the owner's homeowner's or renter's insurance usually pays the claim.
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Do you have a dog bite claim in Rhode Island?
Most claims come down to three questions. If the answer to all three is yes, it is worth a conversation, and the conversation costs nothing.
Where did the attack happen?
Rhode Island applies strict liability when a dog injures someone outside the owner's enclosure. Attacks on the owner's property follow a different, fault-based rule.
Were you injured?
Puncture wounds, torn muscle, nerve damage, infection, and scarring. Facial injuries to children are the most common serious case.
Is it within three years?
The general three-year limit applies. Animal control reports and the dog's history should be obtained far sooner.
What we do for you
How Tarro Law will help you
From the first call to the final payment, this is what working with us looks like.
A free, honest case review
Tell us what happened. We tell you whether there is a claim, and we say so plainly if there is not.
We deal with the insurer
Every call, letter, and recorded-statement request goes through us from the first day. You speak to no adjuster alone.
We move on the evidence first
Preservation letters, camera footage, and witness accounts are secured before they disappear, usually within days.
You focus on recovery
We track every bill, record, and lost workday while you concentrate on treatment.
No fee unless we recover
The contingency fee is set out in writing before we start. If there is no recovery, no attorney's fee is owed.
Direct access to your attorney
Phone, email, and the client portal, with a lawyer who knows your file. Hablamos español.
Dog Bites
How we build a Rhode Island dog bite case
The animal control record
Rhode Island requires bites to be reported. The report, and any prior complaints about the dog, establish history and liability.
Location and enclosure
Precisely where the attack happened decides which legal standard applies. Photographs and witness accounts fix it.
The injury, now and later
Emergency treatment, wound care, infection, and for scarring, the opinion of a plastic surgeon on future revision. For children, the psychological impact is documented too.
Identifying coverage
The owner's homeowner's, renter's, or landlord's policy, and whether the owner was actually the person responsible for the dog at the time.
Compensation
What a claim can cover
Not every category applies to every case. Which ones apply to yours depends on the injury, the evidence, and the insurance available.
Money you have lost
Emergency care, hospital stays, and surgery
Ongoing treatment, therapy, and medication
Projected future medical care
Wages lost while unable to work
Reduced earning capacity going forward
Property damage
Harm that has no invoice
Physical pain, during recovery and after
Emotional distress and loss of sleep
Scarring and disfigurement
Loss of the activities that made life yours
Loss of companionship within a marriage
How it is paid
Through the responsible party's insurance
Through your own uninsured or underinsured coverage where it applies
By settlement, or by verdict if a fair settlement is refused
With every deduction itemized in writing before you sign
Right now
What to do next
What you do in the first days affects what the claim is worth months later. None of this requires hiring anyone.
1
Get medical care the same day
Dog bites infect easily. Rabies and tetanus status should be addressed immediately.
3
Photograph the injuries over time
On the day, and as they heal. Scarring is a significant part of the claim.
4
Get the owner's details and any witnesses
Name, address, and whether anyone saw the attack.
5
Do not accept an apology as a settlement
Owners often offer to cover a bill. The full extent of the injury is not known for weeks.
About the firm
Local roots in Providence. Statewide reach across Rhode Island.
Tarro Law Associates has spent more than 35 years representing businesses, families, and injured people from its office on Broadway in Providence. Clients work directly with their attorney, not a call center, and our attorneys are licensed in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Florida.
No office visit is needed. Most matters can be handled entirely from home:
Sign your agreement and documents electronically
Upload records and photos through the secure client portal
Follow your matter online and reach your attorney by phone, text, or email
Common questions
Dog Bites questions we hear first
The dog had never bitten anyone before. Does that matter?
Not if the attack happened outside the owner's enclosure. Rhode Island applies strict liability there, meaning the owner is responsible regardless of the dog's history. On the owner's property, prior behavior becomes relevant.
The owner is a friend. Will they have to pay personally?
Usually not. Dog bite claims are typically paid by the owner's homeowner's or renter's insurance, which exists for exactly this situation.
My child was bitten. Is the claim different?
The injury is often more serious, scarring is more consequential, and Rhode Island's deadline for a minor's claim is extended. A child's claim also requires court approval of any settlement, which we handle.
What if I was on the owner's property?
The claim is still possible but turns on fault: whether the owner knew the dog was dangerous or failed to restrain it. Prior complaints, the dog's breed and training, and how the attack happened all matter.
Do I pay anything up front?
No. Dog bite cases are handled on a contingency fee. The consultation is free, there is no hourly billing, and the fee is a percentage of any recovery set out in a written agreement. If there is no recovery, no attorney's fee is owed.
More ways we can help
Other services at Tarro Law
Personal Injury
Crashes, falls, medical negligence, and catastrophic or fatal injuries across Rhode Island.
Wills, Trusts & Estates
Estate plans, trusts, powers of attorney, probate, and estate disputes.
Fractional General Counsel
A dedicated business attorney on a month-to-month plan, for a set monthly fee.
Other Rhode Island injury claims we handle
Next step
Make the Call™
Tell us what happened in your own words. We will tell you whether you have a claim, what the deadline is, and what we would do first. Someone answers 24/7.
Main office
Providence, RI
425 Broadway, Providence, RI 02909
Serving
Every city and town in Rhode Island, and clients in Massachusetts and Florida.
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